Horse-rake



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. ELLWOOD.

Horse Rake.

' No. 241,849. Patented May 24,1881.

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(No Model.)- 3Sheets-Sheet 2. R. ELLWOOD. Horse Rake.

No. 241,849. Patented May 24,1881.

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' 1' i 4%? L5 i flifmsses: 15108291501; ag w SWM u, mus. mmww m (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

V R. ELLWOOD Horse Rake.

241,849. .Patented May 24,1881.

Winess es: R M Mw-H. 621% q W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN ELLWOOD, OF SYOAMORE, ILLINOIS.

HORSE-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,849, dated May 24, 1881.

Arpplication tiled October 14, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN ELLWOOD, residing at Sycamore, in the county of De Kalb and State'of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Rakes, of which thefollowing is a full description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view with the shafts broken off; Fig. 2, a cross-section on line 1 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of the seat or guide plate for the front locking devices; Fig. 4, alongitudinal vertical section of the same plate; Fig. 5, a. section of the ad- 1 justing-plate; Fig. 6, a front view of the rear bar or supplemental axle; Fig. 7, a vertical cross-section of the supporting-head on line 3 3 of Fig. 12; Figs. 8 and 9, side and edge elevations of the ratchet-ring; Fig. 10, section on line 2 2 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11, an inner face view or elevation of one.of the flanged wheels at the inner ends of the axle-sections, and Fig. 12 avertical longitudinal section of the supporting-head, central bearings, and

arts.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction and operation of self-dumping horse-rakes of the class having the axle in sections; and its nature consists in the improved parts and combination of parts for keeping the parts in line, limiting the movements, and discharging the rake.

In the drawings, A A indicate the two sections of the axle; B, the wheels; 0, the rakehead; D, the rake-tooth. bar; E, the rear crossbar or supplemental axle; F, the bearings for supporting. the axle-sections; Gr,'shafts; H, front cross-bar; I J, parallel bars, constituting a framing for supporting the front discharging devices; K, a foot rest or support; L, the supporting head; M, the disks or circular plates at the inner ends of the axle-sections; N, the ratchet-rin g; 0, the treadle; P, a handlever; Q, the truss-bar; It, the locking and limiting bar; S, a chain T, a short chain connecting the heel of the treadle with chain S.

a are the bearings of the head L; I), a plate or projection on the head L, to which the handlever is attached; 0, journal boxes or bearings for the head L; d, a spring box or plate; 6, spring; f, lever for discharging the rake by power; j, alocking-projection on leverf; f", tail or projection on lower end of lever f,- g, a locking lever or pawl, having a side projection, g, for locking the leverfwhen thrown into action; h, a stop or limit to prevent the pawl g from being thrown out of action; 2', catch or pawl on lever f j, exterior teeth on the ratchet-ring; kk, interior teeth on ratchetring; Z, pawl for engaging with teeth k; m, spring for pawl l,- n 0, circular projections or shoulders on inner faces of disks M; p, circular side projections or bearin gs of the ratchetringN; q, a fin or division-plate between the interior teeth, k, of the ratchet-rim g; r, rear limit stops or shoulders for rod or bar It; s,front limit-stop for the bar R; t 25', stops on the bar R, 25 also indicating the connection of the front end of the chain S with the bar R; a, a plate supporting the stops 1" s u, a depression for operating the treadle-projection to throw the front end of the bar R above the stop 8; o, a bar or projection at the side of the treadle for lifting the front end of the bar R; 8, slot, and w set-screw for shifting the stop 8 an, adjusting-screws for stringing or tightening the truss-bar Q, and y a long link in the chain S.

Themain axle is madein sections A A,which are of nearly or quite equal length, and the wheels 13 B are so attached that the axles turn with them.

The rake-head O is mounted on the main axle by supports located at or near the wheel-hubs, and by the supporting-head L at the middle, and the rake-teeth are kept in relative positions by the bar D, which is slotted in' the usual manner, to permit a limited vertical play for each tooth. This bar is fastened to the back of the supporting-head L, so that it is an aid in elevating the rake-teeth.

The sections of the main axle are kept in position by the brackets or castings F, which are bolted to the bar E, which bar thus becomes a supplemental axle, and it performs an important office or function in a rake having the main axle made in sections, for al. sectional axles are liable to sag; the weight of the parts and of the driver, and the tendency of the timbers to sag or warp, all increase the difliculty, and tend also to so bind the parts as to make them operate with difliculty and to subject them to greater wear. I avoid all of these difliculties by applying the truss Q to the supplemental axle, and am also able to make the supplem en tal axle lighter in construction, and by applying set-screws to the truss-bar 1 not only prevent the sagging and binding of the parts, but am enabled to raise and readjust the parts, and bring them again into line after sagging.

The truss-bar Q, Fig.6, is firmly attached to the bar E at or near its ends, and when attaching it it will be advisable to first run in the straining-bolts arr, which maybe lug-bolts screwed into the wood. By turning the straining-bolts the bar E may at any time be brought to line, and it will be evident that this result may be obtained by a single straining-bolt in the middle, or by a number of them along the length of the bar.

The shafts G and cross-bar H are made and attached in the usual manner.

The bars I J are of wood, and are bolted to the bar H and supplemental axle E, and to these bars the treadle 0 is pivoted by the rod 0, or by other suitable means. At the front end of the bar J there is secured the plate 2!, Figs. 3, 4. This plate is provided at its rear end with two guide-stops, r, for the bar R, and at the front end with an adjustable stop, a. The under face of the stop and the upper face of the plate 21, where the stop is applied, are serrated, and the stop is provided with a slot, 8, and with aclamping-bolt, 1r, for the purposes hereinafter explained.

The plate 11, as shown, is provided with a depression, u, for the side bar or point, r, of the treadle; but this is not essential.

The treadle O is provided in front of its pivot with said side projection or bar, 2', which passes under the front end of the bar It, as shown in Fig. 1, and in rear it is provided with a short chain, oralink and ring, connecting the treadle with the long link y of the chain S. The chain S may be made of all long links, or, with the exception of the link 3 the rest of the chain may be made in the ordinary way, and the long link y may be in form of a rod, as its purpose is to permit the ring of the treadle-connection to slide along its length. This chain is fastened to the bar R at its front end and to the lever f at its rear end.

The bar or rod R may be made of wood or iron, or partly of both. Its rear end is attached to the head L, as shown, and its front end is provided with limit stops or stop 1. The form of the stop is not material, as it may be a simple pin. In the form shown the stop is composed of two wings, t i, to one of which the chain S is attached; but the chain may be attached to any part forward of the stops 7'. It will be seen that there is a space between the stops or shoulder t and the stops r, and to the extent of this space the rake'head, as a whole, has free play to conform to the inequalities of the ground, and this play may be increased for the rising of the rake by setting the stop 8 farther forward. The stops 1- limit the free movement of the head downward, so as to prevent the rake-teeth from getting so far under as to take the weight of the entire rake by any raising and dropping of the wheels, or either of them.

\Vhen it is desired to set the rake up for raking stubble, &c., the stop 8 is moved forward and the stop tset back; or a pin is run through the rod R in rear of the stop t, a hole or holes being made in the rod R for that purpose; or the entire plate u may be moved forward.

The supporting-head L, as shown, is cast in one piece with the axle-bearings a, except that the lower parts or half-boxes at c are bolted together to make a complete bearing. It extends upward to form a support for the rakehead U, and upward and backward to form a support for the tooth-bar D. A flange or projection, 1), extends up at one side for the attachment of the rod or bar R, and for the handlever P. It is also sufficiently open in the middle to pass around the disks M, and at the bottom it has a rearward extension, (I, Fig. 7, for the lever-sprin g c.

The circular plates or disks M are provided with hubs, by which they are firmly attached to the inner ends of the axle-sections A A. These hubs are so attached that in one of them the axle end projects beyond it,while the other projects beyond the axle end,as shown at Fig. 12, which arrangement prevents the slipping or grinding of the parts connected with the inner ends of the axle against each other, and from getting out ofposition or binding. These plates M are provided on their inner faces with circular shoulders 0, which form the bearings for the ratchet-ring,and also with circular projections a, Which prevent the plates from approaching each other so as to bind the ratchet-ring. These projections are partly omitted or cut away for the pawls I, one of which is attached to each plate. These pawls are pivoted to the plates and are held to their work by the springs m, Fig. 7. Between these plates the ratchet-ring N is placed, with its projections 11 resting on the shoulders 0, upon which the ring is free to turn.

The interior of the ratchet-rin g is provided with ratchet-teeth k, of which, as shown, there are two sets, with a division, q, between them, which division prevents the pawls I from interferin g with each other. By this arrangement of the pawls either wheel B will turn the ring, and both will act when they have the same mo tion.

The exterior of the ring is provided with teeth j, which engage with the hook or pawl t of the lever f. The lever f is pivoted to the head L, as shown at Fig. 7, and is provided with a hook or pawl, t, for engaging with the ratchet-ring, and it has a downward projection or tail, f by means of which the springe holds the hook 17 out of contact. Above its pivot the lever f is provided with a projection or stop,

f, against which the projection g of the latch g rests whenthe lever is drawn over to engage with the ratchet-rin g, which prevents the sprin g e from throwing the lever out of engagement, and obviates the necessity of the operator maintaining his foot-pressure to keep the parts in contact.

The latch or pawl g is loosely pivoted to the head L, as shown at Fig. '7, and when it has passed below the projection f its forward end projects beyond the upper end of the lever f, so that when the rake-head is turned to discharge its load the latch will strike first against the bar E or other part of the frame and release itself. The further rotary movement of the rake-head causes the frame to act with the spring 0 to release the hook or catch i of the lever f, so that the rake-head is free to fallback again to its position for raking.

A stop, h, is shown for the purpose of preventing the latch g from getting out of use by being thrown too far back; but this may be dispensed with by changing the form of the latch.

. Ahand-lever, P, is attached for the purpose of discharging the rake by hand, whenever it may be necessary, and it may be used to aid in starting the rake to discharge it.

In operation the rakeis started when in the position at Figs. 1 and 2. When it is ready to be discharged the driver or operator presses his heel down on the treadle O. This movement throws the front end of the bar It above the stop 8, so that it is free to move forward. The same movementthrough the chain S brings the upper end of the lever f forward, so that the hook or pawl i engages with the teeth 9' and the latch g drops behind the projection f of the lever and locks the pawl tin its engagement with the teeth j of the ratchet-ring N. Theaxles, then, by the engagement of one or both pawls l with the teeth k, rotate the rake: head until the end of the latch g strikes the frame in front, releasing the catch f, when, if the spring 0 does not release the hook i from the ratchet-teeth, a slight continuation of the rotation will cause the lever f to strike against the frame and force the book i out, so that the rake-head is free to fall back. While the rakehead is revolving the bar B continues to slide forward, and as it carries the chain with it there is no additional slack in the chain to let the rear end of the treadle down, and the long link 3 slides through the chain T and keeps the parts ih easy working position, and also prevents the side projection, 12, of the front end of the treadle from throwing the bar R toohigh.

The attachment of the front end of the chain S to the bar R, I consider an important feature, as it prevents the slacking. of the chain and preserves the bearing of the treadle'on it during its entire movement with only a slight depression of the treadle.

The further operations of the rake will be apparent from the description.

It will also be seen that by leaving the space between the plates M M outside of the ratchet-ring free and clear, any grass, stubble, or dirt that may get in there will be free to fall out as soon as they are turned; and by making the disks M M project as flanges they serve to keep the hay or straw out, and prevent their being caught or wound up by any of the teeth or ratchets in gathering or in turning the rakehead, and for this purpose I have found them more efficient than shoes or other fixed protectors.

In order to prevent noise or rattling the end of the rod R, the stops 8, t, and r, or either of them, may be provided with cushions,linings, or pads, of rubber, leather, wood, or other suitable material, one form for the stops tbeing shown in the detail of Fig. 1. Cushioning these stops also relieves the jarring of sudden stopping of the parts and makes them less liable to break, and in wearing the cushions can be renewed, so as to save the wear of the machine.

Heretofore the main axle of a horse-rake has been provided with a truss-rod havingits ends passed upwardly through the axle, and provided with nuts for adjusting the tension of the truss-rod but such does not constitute my invention, and is not claimed by me.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination, with the sectional axle A A of a horse-rake, of a supplemental axle or bar, E, connected with the sections of said axle, a truss-rod, Q, arranged longitudinally below the supplemental axle or bar and secured thereto at its ends, and an adjustable bolt, (one or more,) arranged to strain the trussrod for leveling and keeping the axle-sections in line and preventing the rotating parts from binding, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the bar R, having the stop t, with the stop r, and arranged to give the rake alimited movement downward and a free movement upward, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the rod R,having the stop it, with the stops r and s, for giving the rake an upward and downward limit and a free movement between the stops r and s, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the sliding bar R with the chain S, having its end attached thereto to preventthe slacking or bagging of thechain, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the chain S, having the long link y, with the treadle O, and the short chain or connection T, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the treadle 0, having the projection 11, with the bar R, having the stop t and the stops 4* and s, substantially as described.

7. The adjustable stop 8, in combination with the bar R, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of the hill R and Chitin ing' the projecting rings 12, ratchet-teeth 7c, and S with the treznlle 0, having the lifting plopzuvls I, substantially as set forth.

jeetion r, stops 1' and s and the ilnmpingleverj" of the i'ukehvzul. snhstzuitially as speci- REUBEN ELLVVOOD 5 fied. Witnesses:

9. The combination of the disks M, having 5 JAS. II. DIVINE, the shoulders 0, with the ratchet-ring N, hav- 1 JNO. I). ELLWOOD. 

